Consensus to renew fisheries agreement with Morocco

However, the decision of the European Parliament (EP) is still missing, which could block the implementation of the agreement should the entity vote against the proposal, the agency Europa Press reported. "Now, the fisheries agreement with Morocco is 100 per cent in the MEPs’ hands," said the spokesman for EU Fisheries, Oliver Drewes.

The new pact is similar to the previous one except for the fact that it includes a new provision requiring the Moroccan government to report on the use of EU funds and in particular on the socioeconomic impact of EU funding. During the four years the fishing agreement, which expired in February, remained in force, the EU provided EUR 144 million to Morocco for 119 fishing licenses, of which 101 corresponds to Spanish ships. The proposed extension involves the payment of an annual compensation of EUR 36.6 million by the EU for fishing rights in the African country.
 
In February, the European Commissioner for Fisheries, Maria Damanaki, proposed a temporary time extension before the expiry of the previous pact. At present, the EU fleet is fishing in Moroccan waters normally. With the provisional expansion, Damanaki aims to study "in depth" the information supplied by Rabat on the regional impact of the current agreement, that is to say, if it benefits the people from the Western Sahara and if it meets the criteria for sustainable fishing.





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